# US 7,410,735 B2 · Method of characterization, method of characterizing a process operation, and device manufacturing method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,410,735 B2
- Document ID: US7410735B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/844,572
- Filed: 2004-05-13
- Published: 2005-02-10
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2003-05-13
- Assignees: ASML Netherlands B.V.
- Inventors: Maria Elisabeth Reuhman-Huisken; Christianus Gerardus Maria De Mol; Hoite Pieter Theodoor Tolsma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7410735B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/70616: {Monitoring the printed patterns}
- G03F 7/70633: {Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching}
- G03F 9/7003: {Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

A system in which deformation of a substrate wafer is monitored during processing of the wafer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the distortion in the substrate wafer is measured after each exposure and processing operation by comparing the position of a plurality of reference marks to values in a database.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of characterizing a process operation performed on a substrate having thereon a plurality of reference marks, the method comprising:
exposing a pattern representing a layer of functional parts of a device onto a photosensitive layer provided on the substrate to create a latent pattern;
developing said latent pattern in the photosensitive layer to reveal said pattern;
subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate to form the functional parts;
measuring relative positions of the reference marks on the processed substrate; and
comparing a result of said measuring with reference information relating to nominal positions of the reference marks to characterize deformation of said substrate due to said processing,
wherein characterizing deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the results of said measuring and the reference information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein characterizing deformation of said substrate further comprises at least one of the group consisting of detecting a deformation of the substrate and measuring a deformation of the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said method comprising obtaining said reference information, wherein said obtaining includes measuring relative positions of the reference marks on the substrate prior to said processing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein operations of applying a photosensitive layer, exposing a pattern onto the photosensitive layer to create a latent pattern, developing the latent pattern, and processing are carried out on a plurality of substrates in a batch,
said method comprising obtaining said reference information, wherein said obtaining includes measuring relative positions of the reference marks on a first one of the substrates, and using said reference information to perform at least one of the group consisting of (1) detecting a deformation of at least one other substrate of said batch and (2) measuring a deformation of at least one other substrate of said batch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said method comprising:
exposing a pattern representing a layer of functional parts of a device onto a photosensitive layer provided on another substrate to create a latent pattern; developing said latent pattern in the photosensitive layer on the other substrate to reveal said pattern;
based upon said measuring and comparing, processing the other substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said method comprising:
exposing a second pattern representing a layer of functional parts of a device onto a second photosensitive layer provided on the substrate to create a second latent pattern;
developing said second latent pattern in the second photosensitive layer to reveal said second pattern;
processing the substrate;
wherein said exposing a second pattern is based upon said comparing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, said method comprising automatically storing in a database a result of at least one of the group consisting of said measuring and said comparing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing the substrate comprises transferring said pattern to the substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing the substrate comprises modifying a process layer formed on the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein said processing the substrate includes a chemical mechanical polishing process.

### Claim 11

A device manufacturing method comprising:
providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system;
using patterning structure to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section, said pattern including alignment marks and functional parts of a device layer;
projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate to create a latent pattern;
developing said latent pattern to reveal said pattern;
subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate to form the functional parts;
measuring relative positions of reference marks on the processed substrate; and
comparing the results of said measuring with reference information relating to nominal positions of the reference marks to characterize deformation of said substrate due to said processing,
wherein characterizing deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the results of said measuring and the reference information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A data storage medium storing machine-executable instructions, said instructions describing the method of claim 1.

### Claim 13

A method of characterization, the method comprising:
creating a latent pattern in a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate, said creating including exposing a pattern onto the photosensitive layer;
developing said latent pattern;
subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate;
measuring positions of a plurality of reference marks on the processed substrate; and
obtaining a characterization of deformation of said substrate due to said processing, wherein said characterization is based on a distance between nominal positions of the reference marks and the measured positions,
wherein the characterizing of deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the measured positions and the nominal positions of the reference marks.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein said measuring positions includes measuring a position of at least one of the plurality of reference marks relative to at least another of the plurality of reference marks.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the pattern represents a layer of functional parts of a device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein said obtaining a characterization further comprises at least one of the group consisting of detecting a deformation of the substrate and measuring a deformation of the substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, said method comprising obtaining the nominal positions of the reference marks, wherein said obtaining the nominal positions includes measuring relative positions of the plurality of reference marks prior to said processing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, said method comprising:
developing a latent pattern created in a photosensitive layer provided on a second substrate;
subsequent to said developing, processing the second substrate; and
based on a result of said measuring, obtaining a characterization of deformation of said second substrate due to said processing the second substrate,
wherein said obtaining a characterization of deformation of said second substrate comprises at least one of the group consisting of (1) detecting a deformation of the second substrate and (2) measuring a deformation of the second substrate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, said method comprising:
developing a latent pattern created in the photosensitive layer on a second substrate;
based upon said measuring and comparing, and subsequent to said developing a latent pattern created in the photosensitive layer on a second substrate, processing the second substrate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, said method comprising:
exposing a second pattern onto a second photosensitive layer provided on the substrate to create a second latent pattern;
wherein said exposing a second pattern is based upon said comparing.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, said method comprising:
storing a result of at least one of the group consisting of said measuring and said comparing; and
based on said result, performing an operation on a different substrate.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein said processing the substrate comprises altering a property of the substrate based on said developed latent pattern.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein said processing the substrate comprises modifying a layer beneath the developed latent pattern.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method according to claim 23, wherein said processing the substrate includes performing a chemical mechanical polishing process on the substrate.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method according to claim 23, said method comprising:
providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system; and
using patterning structure to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section, said pattern including alignment marks and functional parts of a device layer,
wherein said exposing includes projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

### Claim 26

A data storage medium storing machine-executable instructions, said instructions describing a method of characterization, said method comprising:
creating a latent pattern in a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate, said creating including exposing a pattern onto the photosensitive layer;
developing said latent pattern;
subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate;
measuring positions of a plurality of reference marks on the processed substrate; and
obtaining a characterization of deformation of said substrate due to said processing, wherein said characterization is based on a distance between nominal positions of the reference marks and the measured positions,
wherein the characterizing of deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the measured positions and the nominal positions of the reference marks.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The medium according to claim 26, wherein said obtaining a characterization further comprises at least one of the group consisting of detecting a deformation of the substrate and measuring a deformation of the substrate.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The medium according to claim 26, said method comprising obtaining the nominal positions of the reference marks, wherein said obtaining the nominal positions includes measuring relative positions of the plurality of reference marks prior to said processing.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The medium according to claim 26, said method comprising:
developing a latent pattern created in a photosensitive layer provided on a second substrate;
subsequent to said developing, processing the second substrate; and
based on a result of said measuring, obtaining a characterization of deformation of said second substrate due to said processing the second substrate,
wherein said obtaining a characterization of deformation of said second substrate comprises at least one of the group consisting of (1) detecting a deformation of the second substrate and (2) measuring a deformation of the second substrate.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The medium according to claim 26, said method comprising:
exposing a second pattern onto a second photosensitive layer provided on the substrate to create a second latent pattern;
wherein said exposing a second pattern is based upon said comparing.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The medium according to claim 26, said method comprising:
storing a result of at least one of the group consisting of said measuring and said comparing; and
based on said result, performing an operation on a different substrate.